1. Field
The present disclosure relates to an anti-Ang-2 antibody specifically binding to an angiogenesis-inducing factor Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), and related compositions and methods utilizing such antibodies.
2. Description of the Related Art
Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) is an antagonistic ligand of a receptor Tie2 present at vascular endothelial cells and it suppresses signal transduction by Tie2 by competing with Angiopoietin-1 (Ang1), which is an agonist of Tie2, in binding Tie2. Ang1-Tie2 binding maintains the stability of vascular endothelial cells. Thus, interruption of this binding by Ang-2 may trigger signal transduction through this interruption, ultimately accelerating angiogenesis via the dynamic rearrangement of blood vessels.
As angiogenesis is an essential element for the growth of cancer, preventing the additional growth of cancer by inhibiting the function of Tie2-dependent Ang-2 to suppress angiogenesis has been known by the research of several preclinical models and in fact, various attempts to prevent the progress of cancer using antibodies specific to Ang-2 are ongoing.
Although there are phenomena showing that Ang-2 not only causes the growth of cancer through Tie2-dependent angiogenesis but also accelerates the metastasis of cancer through Tie2-independent mechanism, research results about the detailed mechanisms of action are yet to be elucidated.
As a method for effectively inhibiting the progress of cancer by Ang-2, it is believed to be important to suppress Tie2 signaling by Ang-2, and it is expected to be possible to secure cancer treatment agents with superior performance by blocking Tie2-independent mechanisms of Ang-2.
Accordingly, it is needed to elucidate Tie2-independent mechanisms of Ang-2 and to develop a substance suppressing them.